We're all a Little Insane Here
by Alex Ryzlin Gold
Summary: Swan Queen Week Day Three - Hostage. Emma needs to find a way to escape from the certifiably crazy recluse who had kidnapped both her and Mary Margaret. Except they don't seem to be alone in the house and Emma has no idea if the other person will help or hinder her attempt.


Sadly, I don't own Once Upon a Time and make no profit from this story.

**Tuesday:** Hostage

Damn Mary Margaret running away. Screw her for messing up any legal defence she had, and for leading Emma into the woods to be kidnapped by some nutter with a hat fetish who was trying to get off or something because really, who the hell knew how to make hats anymore? And what in the world made this man think that _Emma_, born and raised as a foster child and who only managed to get her GED in prison would be one of those few people who made _hats_? She didn't know how to make hats and before she had moved to Maine she had barely worn hats. Damn hats, she'd never wear another one in her life time if she got out of this mess alive.

Jefferson was still jabbering on about hats when the light flickered. It sent a shiver right down Emma's spine because that shit was straight from a horror movie. The light flickered again and sure the house wasn't particularly well looked after, but it was well enough looked after that there shouldn't be flickering lights. Especially not in the room where the nutjob kept his prized hat collection. Emma knew nutjobs and they would never let something like that stand. There was an odd creak, like someone was moving around the house and for a moment Emma allowed herself to hope that Mary Margaret had gotten loose and was trying to find a way out of the house to go for help. It wasn't likely though. She _was_ a school teacher, and all in all not exactly the sort of person who survived very long in horror movies because Mary Margaret kind of lacked common sense at times. This was probably one of those times; she had run from the sheriff's station while accused of murder after all. Or been kidnapped, Emma wasn't one hundred percent sure either way.

There was another flicker from the lights and a dull thud echoed from the top floor of the house. Then there was the scream. It echoed throughout the house and Emma placed it instantly as Mary Margaret 's. Whatever was happening to her right now, she was terrified.

"What are you doing to her?" Emma yelled.

She desperately wanted to grab at the large pair of scissors that were lying on the hatter's workshop table and help Mary Margaret, but her hands were still bound.

He blinked and looked to the ceiling, his mouth partially open. "I … nothing."

The lights flickered again before completely failing, plunging the room into completer darkness. Emma backed up quickly, slamming her back into the wall. She moved along the wall, keeping her back pressed to it until she reached a corner of the room. There couldn't be someone else, could there? How many nutters did Storybrooke have?

…

Actually Mr. Gold gave her the creeps and Sidney always seemed to know everything, like he was in everyone's houses or something. Even something about Dr. Hopper bugged Emma. She was pretty sure everyone one in Storybrooke was a little weird, but they weren't all violently insane with a tendency towards kidnapping. At least she hoped not, sometimes she couldn't be sure.

There was a soft clicking sound and a wet gurgle of pain. Emma saw the briefest glimpse of dull red light before all of her attention was taken up. There was someone near her. No, not near, right in front of her. Someone was standing in the darkness right in front of her. She couldn't hear anything, not breathing or the soft press of clothes against skin but Emma knew someone was there.

The hand that grabbed her chin was soft and gently stroked her cheek before moving up to grab her nose, pinching it shut and tilting her head back. She had no leverage to try and remove the hands and the grip was too strong for Emma to even move her head. Emma was forced to open her mouth just to breath and as soon as she did something was poured down her throat. It was either swallow or choke. From the small amount that landed on Emma's tongue she thought she could taste apples; possibly apple juice.

Her thoughts turned to Regina and her homemade apple cider but that was ridiculous. If Emma had learnt anything from her relationship with Regina it was that the woman was a stickler for routine and the normal. While she was surprisingly scary at times Regina was not the sort to face off with insane recluses. Though she did brag that she knew everyone in Storybrooke so maybe she was the type. Emma's eyes drooped and she blinked slowly. Something was a little wrong. The hands on her head moved to her shoulders, gently lowering her to the ground. Her arms were tugged at and something soft placed under where her head lay on the wooden floor. Emma sighed softly and closed her eyes, slowly slipping into unconsciousness. She wondered if Regina would think that being on Emma's mind before she died was romantic or something.

/-/-/-/-/

When Emma's eyes opened it was still dark, but her night vision had returned and she could just make out the shapes of the furniture in the room. She had no idea where her captor was, or why for some reason her arms were no longer bound. She grabbed the scissors on the table and slowly headed out of the room and along the hallway to where she had last seen Mary Margaret. She ended up opening several different rooms before finding her. Apparently she hadn't remembered as much about the mansions layout as she had thought she had.

No one stopped her and when she entered the room Emma found Mary Margaret still tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Using the scissors Emma cut her free before lifting Mary Margaret up and helping her to walk out of the room with an arm around her waist. When she tried to speak Emma just pressed a finger to her lips. They couldn't afford to cause a ruckus now and draw attention to themselves.

Still holding the scissors in an iron grip Emma lead Mary Margaret out the front door and into the forest surrounding the mansion. She could deal with this all once they got back to town. She didn't quite feel up to driving, she was weirdly groggy for some reason, but the bug was sitting on the other side of the forest and it was definitely her best bet for getting away quickly.

/-/-/-/-/

Regina stood at the window in the top floor of Jefferson's house. The only light came from the glowing red heart in her hands and the half-moon outside. Emma would never see her, even as she constantly looked behind her to make sure that Mary Margaret was following and Jefferson wasn't. But Jefferson wouldn't bother Emma again. She squeezed the heart a little tighter and a muffled scream came from the floor behind her. She had been forced to gag him, she didn't want Emma coming back thinking someone else needed saving after all. She was like that, a proper White Knight.

Regina turned to stare down at Jefferson.

"I have very few things that I care about anymore, Jefferson. Unfortunately for you, Emma is one of them."

And she was Regina's, all Regina's. And no one fucked with Regina's things, not even semi-insane portal jumpers.


End file.
